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- Glossary
Terminal button
The end of an axon (long, fiber-like extension) of a nerve cell is called a terminal bouton if it is the presynaptic part of a synapse. The terminal bouton is a spherical thickening containing vesicles (small sacs) that store neurotransmitters (chemical messengers in the brain).
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- Glossary
Endorphins
Abbreviation for endogenous morphines, i.e., morphines produced by the body itself. They play an important role in suppressing and alleviating pain. They are also involved in euphoria (feelings of elation).
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- Glossary
Engram
An engram, also known as a memory trace, is a neural representation of memory content. It is believed that learning processes are based on structural changes in the synaptic connections between neurons.
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- Glossary
Epigenetics
Biologists use the term "epigenetics" to describe all processes that influence the genetic activity of an organism without changing the sequence of DNA building blocks. This occurs, for example, when the cell chemically modifies certain sections of the genetic material, thereby permanently or temporarily deactivating them. For example, although women have two X chromosomes in every cell of their body, one of them is so tightly packed that it does not become active.
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- Glossary
Epiphysis
The epiphysis (pineal gland) is an unpaired component of the epithalamus (part of the diencephalon). It is a gland that secretes melatonin. Among other things, the epiphysis controls the "internal clock."
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- Glossary
Episodic memory
Episodic memory is a form of declarative long-term memory. It includes one's own biography, i.e., important experiences and events from the past, including their location in space and time, as well as the feeling of having had the experience oneself.
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Epithalamus
A part of the diencephalon (midbrain) located behind the thalamus (the largest part of the midbrain). It includes the habenulae and the epiphysis, among other structures.
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Threshold potential
In order for an action potential to be triggered, the membrane potential at the axon hillock of a neuron must exceed the threshold value of approximately –50 mV (relative to the resting potential of –70 mV). This is the threshold potential. If the depolarization remains below this threshold, no action potential is triggered.
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- Glossary
Executive functions
Brain research uses the term "executive functions" to describe the "higher" mental abilities of living beings. These include, for example, focused attention, planning actions, error correction, decision-making, impulse control, and emotional regulation.
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- Glossary
Extinction
In extinction, a previously conditioned stimulus is presented several times without the originally paired reinforcement until the conditioned response subsides. For example, a dog has learned that the ringing of a bell announces food (conditioned stimulus → conditioned salivation response). In extinction, the bell is now rung several times without food following. After a few repetitions, the dog stops drooling when the bell rings: the conditioned response subsides. This decrease in response can also be detected at the synaptic level, for example, by a reduction in neurotransmitter release.
